The Faults of Men are Not But Few
by Gedia Kacela
Summary: When Severus' two best (and sometimes only) friends begin dating, he feels somewhat like a third wheel. So is that why he feels jealous, or is it something... else? (Year Six) *Finished*
1. Part One: The First Fault

The Faults of Men are Not But Few  
  
Disclaimer: Neither Snape nor Lucius belongs to me. Gedia does. *shrug* What can I say, she's my alter ego!  
  
Author's Note: A conversation takes place between Snape and Gedia, regarding the latter's relationship with Lucius Malfoy and the nature of men. How many faults must one commit before it becomes too hard to forgive?  
  
Dedicated to Storm, just because she likes Lucius so darn much.  
  
***  
Part One: The First Fault  
  
The Slytherin Common Room was empty, as it should be. The entire school as currently either attending classes or teaching them. Or they, in the case of the girl who had accidentally spilled Shrinking Solution on herself, were lying moaning in the hospital wing. Well, all of them save for two, the two who had decided on skipping classes to engage in something more... enjoyable.  
  
The secret wall slid open to allow two Slytherins to stumble inside, their hands grabbing at each others robes and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The sixth-year boy dropped down onto the green plush sofa, pulling his companion with him. She fell eagerly onto hi, her dark curls forming a silken curtain around their faces.  
  
His pale hands caressed her curves, pulling her closer to him, crushing her body against his. "Gedia," he murmured into her soft lips before calling her by the pet name he had given her, "Dia..."  
  
Her long, slender fingers grazed his smooth face, tracing his features with feathery touches. To his arousal-heightened senses, her touch was like liquid fire. He burned for her. He slid his hands into her robes, causing a shiver of delight to course through her veins.  
  
She broke the kiss, moving to focus her attention on his earlobe, exposing her long neck to him. Pressing his warm lips to the area just above her collarbone, he devoted his efforts into re-marking her alabaster skin to claim her as his own.  
  
He paused to release a growling moan as she lightly blew in his ear. Great Merlin, he'd skip class any day to do this.  
  
He'd caught her in the hallway while she was on her way to Transfiguration, pulling her into an empty hallway with a motion for her to be silent. For her, it was an unexpected surprise, but for him it had been something he had been waiting all day for.   
  
They had waited until classes had begun before running hand-in-hand back to Slytherin Hall. Outside the entrance, he had pinned her to the wall and attacked her mouth with his.  
  
Their tongues had dueled back and forth in a fiery, heated dance before they had broken apart long enough for him to murmur, "Purebloods," so that the wall could open up to admit them into the Common Room.  
  
He silently wondered if they would be able to make it down to his dorm before they lost themselves in one another. From the furor in their kisses, he seriously doubted it.  
  
That changed abruptly as the wall slid aside once more to reveal a dark figure. He cleared his throat, averting his dark eyes from the pair on the couch.  
  
Gedia looked up over the back of the couch with a soft gasp. Her lips were red and slightly swollen and her lipstick was smeared on both her and her partner's faces. The intruder immediately wished he hadn't volunteered to look for the missing Slytherins. He should have known better.  
  
"Severus," stated Gedia's companion, running a hand through his tousled white-blonde hair. "What are you doing?" He wanted to snap at his friend for interrupting, but kept his explosive anger in check.  
  
The black-haired boy tore his eyes away from Gedia, who was self-consciously preening her mussed curls. "Forgive me, Lucius. I was sent to search for you when you were not present in class."  
  
"You couldn't have said we went to the hospital wing?" he growled abruptly.  
  
Severus' black eyes flashed. "McGonagall is no idiot, Malfoy. Do you wish me to get points taken from Slytherin for lying, after you will get points taken for skipping?" His tone was dangerous. He was one of the few who dared argue with the charming yet bad-tempered Slytherin.  
  
Lucius was about to make a reply, but Gedia laid a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. "It's not his fault, Lucius."  
  
His pale eyes traveled over her and he leaned forward to capture her mouth in another kiss.   
  
Severus resisted the urge to fidget nervously. Ever since his two friends had begun dating, he had felt very much like a... how did the Muggles say it?... a third wheel. Especially at times like this.  
  
Malfoy was part-Veela and therefore happened to be quite sexually active and far less able to control his desires than others were. That fact was made painfully evident to Snape by the sheer number of times the two disappeared, leaving Severus alone.  
  
Not that he minded being alone, but he couldn't help but wish that things would go back to the way they used to be. Then he wouldn't have to feel so... jealous.  
  
Jealous?  
  
He balked at the word, and yet, he couldn't deny the green twinge of envy that gnawed at him. But jealous of what? Surely he was not jealous of the fact that Lucius was the one able to kiss Gedia.  
  
Certainly not. Gedia was his friend, nothing more than his truest friend. She was the one who glanced apologetically over her shoulder at him as Lucius dragged her off to an abandoned corner for another sexual tryst. She was the one who helped him exact revenge on the Marauders. She was the one who sat cross-legged on his bed half the night and had deeper discussions with him than he had ever known possible.  
  
But those conversations, acts of revenge, and glances had become few and far between as of late. That was what he was jealous of. Nothing else. He would not think of such things again, he promised himself that.  
  
Lucius finally broke the kiss and stroked Gedia's smooth cheek with a fingertip. "Of course you're right," he purred to her. "It isn't that bat's fault that we were interrupted." He tossed a joking glance towards Severus, who did not smile back. But then again, he never did.  
  
Gedia glanced at Snape. He had the most curious expression on his face, but try as she might, she could not read it. It was something she had never seen before. She searched his eyes for clues, but all emotion in them was expertly hidden and they betrayed nothing, even to her expert gaze.  
  
He turned away from her probing eyes, looking instead at Lucius. "I'll leave you two... alone. I suppose you'll be reporting to the hospital wing... later on?"  
  
"Absolutely, old boy. After all, we might need a good nap." He kissed Gedia playfully and stood. "Join me downstairs, sweet lady?"  
  
She glanced back at Severus, who was looking fixedly away, and felt a strange twist in her stomach. Curious. Must be something she'd had for breakfast- pumpkin juice gone bad or something. Whatever it was, it made her feel quite... off. She suddenly lost all desire for what they had just been doing.  
  
"No, Lucius."  
  
His hand tightened on hers. "What?"  
  
"I said no."  
  
He sunk down onto the couch with her. "Ged... you can't do this to me... you can't. You know what it does to me." He tried to kiss her again.  
  
She wrenched her hand from his and stood abruptly. "No." Turning on her heel, she strode out of the Common Room, the door banging shut behind her.  
  
The remaining boys lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Lucius also got stiffly to his feet, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. "Very well," he growled, stalking out of the room as well.  
  
Severus sighed. There were times when he wished that Lucius and Gedia had never met. This was one of those times. Then there would not be these problems and he would not be so often alone.  
  
He went to class, then to lunch. Gedia sat at the table, but did not eat or talk, choosing instead to isolate herself. He knew better by now than to attempt to talk to her about the touchy subject matter. She would only bite his head off... not literally, of course... but close. Besides, he was not exactly the best at such discussions.  
  
Lucius was not there, and Severus knew that he was not the only one to notice the absence. So he touched Gedia's shoulder lightly before leaving the table, letting her know that, in his own way, he was there for his friend, as he had always been.  
  
On his way back to Slytherin Hall, he happened to hear a light giggle coming from an adjoining hallway, where Lucius often took Gedia. But Gedia was still back in the Great Hall...  
  
He knew he shouldn't pry, but...  
  
Silently, he slunk down the hallway, following the sounds of a voice that sounded suspiciously like Malfoy's. He paused, for a moment not wanting to find out, wanting to let things go back to normal. But then he thought of Gedia, thought of the way she trusted him.  
  
He couldn't let Lucius do this to her.  
  
So he forced himself to turn the corner.  
  
END PART ONE 


	2. Part Two: The Second Fault

Part Two: The Second Fault   
  
Snape turned the corner, and there stood the familiar form of Lucius Malfoy, his gold-blonde hair unmistakable. He was openly kissing a fair-haired third year and had slipped his hands inside her half-opened robes.  
  
Snape cleared his throat pointedly, glaring darkly at his friend. "Seems like I'm getting quite good at catching you snogging, Malfoy." Lucius whirled around.  
  
The boy's pale eyes darkened dangerously. "Stay out of this, Snape."  
  
"Or what, Malfoy? What would you do, try to hex me? Do you really think that you frighten me?"  
  
His eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "One day, Severus, one day you will be frightened. Just you wait."  
  
He frowned. "What in hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You'll see," he sneered. "You'll all see." Quickly, he left the corridor in a whirl of robes. The blonde hurried after him with a frightened glance at Severus, clutching her robes about her.  
  
He sunk back against the wall. How had things suddenly become so damn complicated?  
  
... and what was he going to tell Gedia?  
  
***  
  
It was quite late when Severus entered the Common Room. He had avoided Gedia for the rest of the day, burying himself in books in the Library and trying to forget about his problems.  
  
Of course, it hadn't worked. He hadn't really expected it to.  
  
He made his way towards the stairwell when someone on the sofa shifted towards him. "Sev?" He froze. She only called him that when she was highly upset, which was very seldom.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Sit with me?" He couldn't help but notice that her voice was quivering slightly.  
  
"Of course." Walking over, he sat down by her feet and she spread her long legs across his lap. The dying fire flickered faintly, highlighting the spots of dampness on her face. He realized that he'd never before seen her cry.  
  
It was a long time before either of them spoke. She stared deeply into the embers of the fire. "It's my fault, isn't it?"  
  
He gave her a stern, sharp look. "Do not say that, Gedia. It is certainly not your fault."  
  
"But, if I would have just gone with him..."  
  
"But you didn't want to. That is the point. He must respect your wishes, Veela or not." This was not the Gedia he knew. She was not normally so... dependent on others. He did not like it. At all. "Do you... love him?  
  
"Love Lucius?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She paused. "I don't know. There are times when I feel like I do, but in truth, I think I'm in love with the idea of him. I make him someone else, someone who doesn't really do what the real Lucius does. That's what I love. That's what I don't want to give up." She gave a forced laugh that sounded hollow in the empty room. "You probably think I'm being idiotically shallow, don't you?"  
  
His fingers curled comfortingly around her legs. "No, Gedia. I do not. Perhaps I do not understand... but I know you well enough to know that you are neither stupid nor shallow. Nor are you a fool."  
  
"I try not to be. But sometimes with Lucius, I think I'm simply fooling myself."  
  
He stared into the fireplace, the light reflecting in his obsidian eyes. "I must tell you something."  
  
She gave him a small smile. "I thought as much. Why else would you avoid me all afternoon if not to play out word for word how you're going to tell me exactly what I already know?"  
  
He glanced sharply at her. "You know?"  
  
"Of course, Sev. It's what he always does. I knew he would do it the moment I said 'no.' That is why this is my fault."  
  
"It's not," he growled.  
  
With a sigh, she sat up, resting her head on his shoulder wearily, her legs still stretched across his lap. "I'm not in the mood to argue, Severus."  
  
"I know. Forgive me. It's simply that you deserve someone better than him."  
  
She was startled by the words and looked up at him. "Someone like who, exactly?"  
  
"Someone who appreciates you for more reasons than how you are in bed... who wants you just because of how you are." He looked away, knowing he had said too much for his own good. What, had he drunk Vertiserum or something? Why in hell was he saying this anyway? Great Merlin's beard!  
  
He could still feel her bright blue eyes on him, no matter how he tried to avoid them. "And you, Severus? What do you deserve?"  
  
He turned back to her sharply. "This is not about me, Gedia."  
  
She swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. "And what if I want to make it be about you?"  
  
"What do you..." his voice trailed off, for suddenly they seemed very... close. She had raised her head from his shoulder and was gazing at him in a way he had only seen when she looked at Lucius. It was... unsettling, to say the least. Her blue eyes held a power that he was certain every woman had and every man was deathly prone to. Those eyes made him suddenly powerless.  
  
She slowly leaned forward and moment later, her soft lips lightly brushed against his, hesitant and trembling. But when he did not instantly pull away from her in repulsion, she kissed him more boldly, her mouth pressing firmly against his.  
  
He stared at her, frozen by her sudden action. Her eyes were closed, the long ebony lashes feathering against her pale skin. After a moment's hesitation to recover from his shock, he closed his eyes and responded, kissing her back, albeit a bit clumsily. After all, it was his first kiss. Merlin... to kiss Kacela his first time through. That was certainly unexpected.  
  
But he could not deny that it was enjoyable. The feel of her mouth on his stirred a... longing in him for the things that he knew Lucius and Gedia had done. He reached out to wrap his arms around her, wanting to deepen their kiss.  
  
But as soon as he touched her, she seemed to jerk back to reality, her eyes flying open. "Shit," she breathed, stumbling away from him and to her feet. She stared at him a moment, before shaking her head violently and hurriedly leaving the room.  
  
"Dammit," he cursed under his breath as the door fell shut behind her fleeing figure. He buried his head in his hands. Things were spiraling out of control, and they had just gotten worse.  
  
***  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Gedia slid onto the bench next to Severus. She grabbed a crumpet, chewing thoughtfully before speaking. "Would you hate me forever if I asked you to forget all about last night?"  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief, both physically and mentally. "Absolutely not."  
  
She grinned. "Good. I'd hate to have to go through the bother of finding a new best friend." She made a grimace. "We don't have to... discuss... that... do we?"  
  
His expression reflected hers. "Gods, I hope not."  
  
"Good," she repeated. "Now, please tell me that this isn't going to be awkward for us, or I'll be forced to throw myself from my broom from a very fatal height."  
  
"Well," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "since I don't want to get stuck cleaning up the mess should you choose to plummet to your death, then fine, it won't be awkward. Besides, you are absolutely not good at suicide notes."  
  
She elbowed him. "Thanks a lot."  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
Smiling, she took one last large bite of her crumpet, managing to get crumbs everywhere, even on Severus. He would never cease to be annoyed by her eating habits, but there wasn't much he could do. Sometimes, he thought she did things simply to annoy him. It was some sick thrill for her. But that was just Gedia. "So... still friends?"  
  
Friends... that was what they had always (well, almost always) been, probably always would be. A kiss- no, a mistake- would not change their relationship, never would. They were merely friends- good friends, mind you, but nothing more. It was simply the way things were and always would be.  
  
He favored her with a rare smile. "Still friends," he assured her. She grinned around a mouthful of food, and his smile quickly changed to a disdainful frown. "Honestly, Gedia, learn some table manners. No one will ever be able to take you anywhere in proper society."  
  
The entrance of Lucius interrupted her almost certainly smart-aleck comment. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso and kissing the side of her neck. "I could think of some place to take her..."  
  
"Though none of them in proper society," she remarked, meeting his lips with hers.  
  
Severus' gaze darkened even more as he watched them. So she had taken him back, as apparently she had done before. He wondered vaguely if Malfoy was truly aware how lucky he was. There were not many girls who would forgive as easily as she had.  
  
Still, he felt as if there was only so long before his faults would overwhelm even Gedia's distorted vision of him, would blur the picture of him that she wanted to see. Because his faults were not few but many, and forgiveness couldn't last forever.  
  
After a quick goodbye, Gedia followed Lucius out of the Great Hall. But for now, he decided, things were back to usual.  
  
But whether this was a good or bad thing, only time would tell.  
  
END  
  
Author's Note: Dedicated to Nita, because I *know* she loves some good Snape lip-action. Who wouldn't? *whistles innocently*   
  
I hope you all (especially Nita) enjoyed it. More of this series to come, though I'm not sure what's next. We'll just have to wait and see. 


End file.
